[EricH]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

If possible, you're going to want some form of exterior protection (typically a bumper), and not just for the safety of your wheels. 254 had trouble last year when teams discovered that if they hit 254 at high speed, they could often "hop" on top of 254's wheels, making it next to impossible for 254 to move effectively. A good example of this can be found in Newton Quarter-final 2-2.

968 had the same problem at LA. Their only loss was when a team somehow got on top of their back frame and slowed them down, to say the least. They later added a bumper, IIRC.